R&B Golden Boy Suffers Consequences of a Tarnished Reputation

After a pre-grammy party early Sunday morning, R&B golden Boy, Chris Brown was charged with assaulting an unidentified woman in his car (coughRIHANNAcough) outside of a hotel. Brown later turned himself in to authorities to be released on $50,000 bond.

Since the alleged assault, Brown’s Doublement Gum endorsement deal with Wringley has been suspended until the situation is resolved.

Brown has been a squeaky-clean pop icon since he stepped on the music scene. As such a prominent young star in a business that’s losing more money than it makes it’s no surprise that this domestic disturbance has everyone talking. Brown’s newly tarnished image can hurt him with not only the loss of endorsement deals but also the loss of his fan base.

Not only is the media picking up the story, but social networking sites as well. Anyone can log into Facebook and see at least one status dedicated to Brown’s arrest. Take a look at Rihanna’s myspace and you’ll see her fans rallied around her with words of support telling her to stay strong among other things.

The question now is how does Brown’s record company salvage his previously viewed good reputation?

“The music industry, they'll circle the wagons and protect him," said Respected hip-hop historian and journalist Dave "Davey D" Cook. "They'll spin the story and even go out after the victim which is happening now with Rihanna, who is catching heat from people accusing her of snitching."

Ethics are often compromised in the world of PR, but in the case of such an influential pop star with a younger fan base like Brown this is not healthy or setting a good example on the part of the industry. Hopefully, Brown’s people will do the right thing and encourage Brown to accept responsibility for his alleged actions and not just try to protect their cash cow.